Season's Greetings
by Greendale Human Being
Summary: It's Christmas time and Jeff is struggling to admit what really saved Greendale to Annie.


**The Story**

**1**

Annie sees Jeff before Jeff sees Annie. His head is slumped on the pile of papers he's meant to be grading, and hers his locked onto the sight of his not-really-bedhead hair. She feels a little flutter in her chest as she walks over, but she tries to ignore it. She's just being polite. It would be rude to ignore a friend, wouldn't it?

"Jeff!" She taps his shoulder.

"Ugh," he moans into the papers, "just get me another small coffee."

"No, Jeff. It's me. Annie?"

Jeff's head whips up. "Hey," he smiles softly at her, raising a lazy finger at to point at her sweater. "Festive."

Annie glances down at her baggy Christmas jumper. "Yeah," she fingers the fabric. "It was my dad's…" She pauses for a second before her head snaps back up. "So!" she proclaims, "what're you up to?"

Jeff waves his hand at the essays. "So many words…" he groans. "How do you manage?"

"Ah." Annie slides into the seat opposite him. "Organisation, notes, highlighters, timetables, lists-"

"This is turning into one," Jeff mutters under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," he waves a hand. "Continue." He doesn't mind, really. She looks cute when she tries to remember things.

"Reminders, planners, sticky notes," she continues before stopping abruptly. "I'm totally boring you, aren't I?"

"Nah, I need all the advice I can get. At this rate I'll be grading the papers on Christmas day."

She smiles sadly at him and he just wants to tell her how much he likes her but he can't. Not yet.

"You'll be fine, Jeff. Winger your way out of it."

"Not this time, Annie." He says a little wistfully. "I'm Jeff Winger, Teacher 2.0. If we're gonna turn Greendale around, it's got to start with the students. How do we prepare the students? With the best teachers possible."

Annie feels so _proud _of Jeff all of a sudden it's almost embarrassing. She's proud to see him settling down, proud to see him actually try to do something the hard way, and slightly in love with him for just being _Jeff_.

"That's great," she smiles at him, all warm and _Annie _that Jeff just wants to bring her face to his and kiss her but –no. Because she's Annie and he's Jeff and if it was meant to be, wouldn't it have happened already?

"So…" he sips the last dreg of his lukewarm coffee. "What brings you here?"

Annie gestures at the bags by her feet. "Bit of extra Christmas shopping – I just got your present actually. Oh, and I'm looking for some books to read up on the new topics I'm taking next semester."

"Annie!" Jeff tries to sound shocked, but to be honest he isn't really. Annie is the only person he knows (hell, probably the only person anyone knows), who is trying to learn a subject before she's even started it. During the holidays. "You really don't need to be doing extra work, you know? Us teachers don't expect or require it."

"I know, Jeff, I just like to be prepared."

Jeff turns his attention to the pile of bags, trying to peer at their contents. "So, what did you get me?" He asks eagerly, but Annie just smiles smugly.

"None of your business. You'll have to wait until Christmas."

"But that's twelve days away." Jeff is upset he can't find out what she's got him, but he also wants to keep the conversation away from what he's got her. Mainly for two reasons: firstly he hasn't got her a present, and secondly because he doesn't know what to get her for a present. He doesn't know what sort of money to spend – twenty dollars? Thirty dollars? A pair of socks? He doesn't want to mess up their friendship by getting her something only a cheapskate would get, or by getting her something entirely useless or entirely horrible.

"Good things come to those who wait," she says, and Jeff doesn't know if he's reading into or not, but the smile on her face is almost _certainly _flirty. Jeff Winger knows these things._  
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"It's a good I thing have been, then," he murmurs, winking at her. Jeff grins in his mind at the small blush on her cheeks and leans forward, so that his nose is only a few inches from hers. "I do have a question for you, though."

Annie's heart rate picks up a little. "Fire away."

"What do I get Abed for Christmas? He's like, impossible to buy for."

Annie's heart rate slows back down. "Oh. Um, I just tagged onto Rachel's present for him - some stupidly expensive special edition blu-ray of one of his favourite shows."

Jeff can't even hide the jealousy on his face. "Gah. Lucky. It's been plaguing my mind almost as much as these papers. I've literally already used every gift idea I've ever had on him."

"You'll be fine Jeff!" she takes a bite out of his chocolate muffin, ignoring his half-hearted protests. "Have you got my present yet?" she asks innocently enough, but Jeff still feels his heart sink.

"Um..."

"You haven't!"

"Hey, I didn't say that. I'm in the _process _of getting your present."

"That's total BS Jeff."

"You got me," he says, and he's relieved to see the smile on her face. "In a perfect world," he starts slowly, "what do you hope I get for you for Christmas?" It's a sneaky tactic and he knows Annie isn't going to fall for it but he thinks it's worth a try anyway.

"Come on, Jeff. I'm not an idiot. I want to see if you know me well enough to get me something I would actually like."

It's a harmless enough comment but Jeff can't help but notice the weight behind it. It feels almost like an accusation, like she's testing him, and he doesn't like it. He thinks about telling her what made Borchert's lab open then and there, proving to her for once what his real feelings about her are, but he still doesn't know how she'll take it. He hasn't forgotten that he was engaged to Britta at the time, and there are _so _many strings attached to that problem.

"I know you pretty well, Annie."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Prove it then."

"And how do I do that?" Jeff can sense the flirtatious nature of Annie's responses, but he doesn't feel like stopping them. He likes Annie, and he shouldn't have to feel guilty about it.

"Get me something I really want."

Jeff pauses for a moment. "Let me try." He steals the chocolate muffin back from her and takes a huge bite. "In the meantime, do you want to come to Greendale's Christmas Fair with me tomorrow?"

Annie is all smiles. "You know what Jeff? I'd love to."

**Okay this is super cringey fluffy but it's Christmas time and I can't wait for Community Season 6. This is going to be a short-ish multi chapter fic, and I will try and get a chapter out every 1-3 days (and they will hopefully be longer than this one, I was just trying to set up the dynamic between Jeff and Annie)**

**Review! (If you feel like it :D)**

**And sorry for the bad title - if you have any suggestions let me know.**


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